This invention relates generally to the fabrication of devices in semiconductor wafers, such as photovoltaic cells, and more particularly the invention relates to a carrier for holding a plurality of wafers for electroplating, such as during electroplating of conductive material.
The automated processing of printed circuit boards and semiconductor wafers has long been employed in fabricating substrates for electrical applications. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,612,243 for MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS. Co-pending application Ser. No. 10/412,711, filed Apr. 10, 2003, for METAL CONTACT STRUCTURE FOR SOLAR CELL AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE describes a unique contact structure employing a multi-metal seed layer on which a thicker electrically conductive metal is plated in forming electrical contacts and interconnect lines.
Such processing requires a substrate carrier in which a plurality of substrates can be readily loaded and unloaded without the transfer of any significant stress to the substrates. The substrates must be held firmly in position and easily transferred in different chemical baths and safely handled during rinsing and drying steps. Further, electrical current must be uniformly transferred and distributed from the carrier to the substrates during metal electroplating.
The present invention provides such a substrate carrier.